Your Marine Sanitation Experts Say Starting Out In a Dinghy Will Make Your Sailing Future Easier

Raritan Engineering Company your marine sanitation analysts would like to share with you these topics we thought would be of interest to you this month regarding how to successfully sail your first dinghy.

Picture this: You’re 16 years old and it’s time to take driving lessons before you can get your license. Your dad pulls up in the driveway in a big 18-wheeler truck. “OK son, let’s start with parallel parking,” he says. Ridiculous?

Your marine sanitation professionals know that I think we can all agree that this new driver would be best served by learning first in a small car. Well, the same principles apply in learning to sail.

As adults, big, beautiful sailboats hold an allure for many of us, but by starting out in a dinghy you will be doing yourself a big favor in the future. There will always be lessons to learn as you move from one boat to another, but the basics remain the same.

For a child, learning to sail in a dinghy seems natural. Once you’re an adult, though, a fear of stepping into a tippy and unstable vessel often surfaces. We see no other end result than our winding up in the drink! For this reason, many people opt for a larger, seemingly more forgiving big boat to learn on.

You might ask, “Isn’t this a good thing? Won’t there be more time for me to react?” If you really want to learn how to sail, the answer is no. On a larger boat, with the reaction to any of your actions taking longer to happen, you are not reinforcing the correct maneuvers you should be making in a timely manner.

The worst and ultimate consequence in a dinghy is that you tip over. Is getting wet so bad? Tipping over and learning to right your boat again are all part of an important learning process and can even be fun. In my years of teaching sailing, “dumping-practice” day always started out with a bunch of apprehensive adults, only to wind up later with a group of reborn, exhilarated “kids.”

Taking a structured learn-to-sail program will always be your best bet. Instructors can quickly guide you in learning the ropes most efficiently. Learning in a group can be an extremely fun experience and a wonderful social event where you’re bound to make new friends.

So don’t forget these helpful tips on how to successfully sail your first dinghy. 1) Starting out in a dinghy you will be doing yourself a big favor in the future; 2) start young, because for a child, learning to sail in a dinghy seems natural; and 3) think about taking a structured learn-to-sail program.

Visit us at Raritan Engineering and see how we always have more information on marine sanitation and on how to successfully sail your first dinghy.

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About Us

Raritan Engineering Company, Inc. was founded in 1958 on the basis of the Patent for the PH Marine Toilet. Its successor, the PHII is still manufactured by Raritan. The Crown Head, the world’s first macerating Marine Toilet followed in 1966.

The first small on-board waste treatment system came in 1974. The pursuit of innovation has continued over the years, with numerous patents and marine product improvements.